By Hannah Drown
cleveland.com
ELYRIA, Ohio — Friday’s Lorain County Commissioners meeting opened with a formal proclamation recognizing 911 dispatchers as first responders, a move county leaders and emergency officials said is long overdue.
The proclamation affirms that 911 telecommunicators, classified under Ohio law as clerical or administrative workers, perform essential emergency response functions and face many of the same stresses as police officers, firefighters and paramedics.
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Kurt Scholl, Director of Lorain County 911, addressed commissioners and a room filled with dispatchers and staff, describing the realities of the job and the toll it can take.
Scholl said dispatchers are the first point of contact in nearly every emergency, guiding callers through CPR, childbirth, active shooter situations, domestic violence calls, and large-scale disasters, often while coordinating multiple responding agencies.
“In moments of crisis, they provide life-saving instructions, coordinate police, fire, and medical response, and make rapid high-stake decisions that directly affect outcomes,” Scholl said, adding that repeated exposure to traumatic calls creates long-term mental health risks comparable to those faced by other first responders.
Formal recognition, he said, is more than symbolic. It could help improve access to mental health resources, specialized training, retirement benefits, and legal protections, while also supporting retention in a demanding profession that often operates behind the scenes.
Commissioner Jeff Riddell said his appreciation for dispatchers grew during his time on the Avon Lake Civil Service Commission, where officials realized the role required specialized skills not all law enforcement officers possess.
“There are skills dispatchers are trained in that not every law enforcement officer is trained in,” Riddell said. “It is with great pride that we recognize them as first responders today.”
The proclamation highlights the sacrifices dispatchers make, including working nights, weekends and holidays, and enduring the emotional strain of constant exposure to crisis with little public recognition.
Commissioner David Moore shared a personal story from early in his career that cemented his belief in the importance of properly trained dispatchers, recalling a 911 call in which a supervisor’s expertise helped save a baby’s life over the phone.
“You guys are professionals, I’m proud of you,” Moore told the group. “My daughter’s a first responder. I know the work you go through and the stress you go through. I’m just proud. I’m really proud of our 911 right now.”
The board unanimously adopted the proclamation, which also encourages continued advocacy at the state level to formally recognize 911 dispatchers as first responders under Ohio law.
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